The billions of pounds of plastic products and packaging produced in this country every year create numerous concerns. At every step in the production of plastics, resources are consumed and waste is produced. Plastics are made from finite, nonrenewable petroleum and natural gas raw materials. Reducing the amount of plastic needed to make a plastic container, such as a bottle or jar, has many benefits.
While the amount of plastic used in making a plastic container can be reduced by thinning the walls of the container, this can create structural problems with the container. Thin walls also increase the oxygen permeability of the container. That may adversely affect the ability of the container to protect and preserve the contents, particularly for foodstuffs.
Container can be made from plastic films which offer the possibility of producing containers with very thin walls that provide a good oxygen barrier. However, making containers from plastic films creates a number of structural challenges.